how are mantis shrimp different from blue whales

Mantis Shrimp vs Blue Whales An In-Depth Comparison of Two Marine Marvels

Mantis shrimp and blue whales – two marine creatures that couldn’t be more different. But just how do these unique animals compare? In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between mantis shrimp and blue whales when it comes to size, habitat, diet, hunting strategies, anatomy, and more.

Size Difference
The size difference between mantis shrimp and blue whales is astounding. An adult blue whale can reach lengths of over 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tons. That’s longer than a basketball court and heavier than 33 elephants!

In contrast mantis shrimp are quite small, measuring just 1 to 12 inches long. A blue whale could easily swallow a mantis shrimp whole. Even a newborn blue whale calf, at 23 feet long, dwarfs the largest mantis shrimp.

Habitat
Blue whales inhabit open ocean environments worldwide. They migrate thousands of miles between cold water feeding grounds and warm water breeding grounds.

Mantis shrimp live in shallow tropical and subtropical waters often hiding in burrows or crevices near coral reefs. They are bottom dwellers while blue whales swim freely in the open ocean.

Diet
The diets of mantis shrimp and blue whales are very different. As filter feeders, blue whales consume tiny planktonic creatures like krill. An adult blue whale eats up to 8,000 pounds of krill per day.

Mantis shrimp are voracious predators that hunt fish, shrimp, crabs and mollusks using their specialized raptorial appendages. They use lightning quick smashing or spearing motions to kill prey.

Hunting Strategies
To catch their food, blue whales take huge gulps of water and filter out plankton through baleen plates. This is a passive feeding strategy.

Mantis shrimp employ active hunting strategies, either spearing soft bodied prey or smashing hard shelled creatures using their powerful raptorial appendages. They strike unbelievably fast, at speeds up to 23 m/s.

Eyesight
One of the most striking differences between mantis shrimp and blue whales lies in their eyes. Mantis shrimp have incredibly complex eyes with 16 color receptive cones, compared to just 3 in human eyes. This gives them phenomenal color vision.

While blue whales have good eyesight, their eyes are much simpler, suited to seeing bioluminescence and faint shapes deep underwater. They lack the visual complexity of mantis shrimp eyes.

Blue whales also cannot move their eyes independently, unlike mantis shrimp which have excellent peripheral vision by moving each eye separately.

Physical Form
In terms of physical form, blue whales and mantis shrimp are perfectly adapted to their respective ocean niches. Blue whales have streamlined, torpedo-shaped bodies that allow them to cruise the open ocean and dive deeply.

Mantis shrimp bodies are compact, with powerful raptorial appendages suited for ambush hunting in reef environments. They lack tails, and instead have fan-like swimming appendages.

Communication
Both animals produce sounds to communicate, but their methods differ greatly. Blue whales emit incredibly loud, low frequency calls that can travel for hundreds of miles underwater.

In contrast, mantis shrimp produce sounds by vibrating their carapace to deter predators. Their rumbling calls are simple compared to the complex vocalizations of blue whales.

Reproduction
Reproductively, blue whales and mantis shrimp have very different strategies. Blue whales mate and give birth in warm tropical waters during winter months. After 12-13 months gestation, a blue whale calf emerges tail first at 23 feet long!

Mantis shrimp mate through external fertilization of eggs. Females carry eggs in a special brood pouch on their underside until they hatch into tiny larvae. Parental care is minimal.